Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-02-03
TINE EARTR's INTERIOR.

earths interior, like that oil the plu-
rali,y Of worlds, j. one which does not
submit itself to the process Of direct
aud tangible experiment, hence any
knowledge that is to be derived on
the the subject is mainly inferen,ial.
We cannot descend to the central core
OF the globe, any more than We can
ascend to Mars or Jupiter, and are
therefore constrained, in dealing with
either question, to content ourselves
with such outlying phenomena as are
within our reach, and TO argue from
the little that is known to the much
that is unknown.
The original condition Of the globe,
previous to its assuming its present
shape and dimensions, cannot be GER
tainly known; but there are indica-
tons that it was at the first in a com
paratively soft or plastic condition,
as is attested by its present shape. A
body of this plastic nature, rotating
rapidly on its axis, would, in conse
quence of the centrifugal force caused
by the motion OF rotation, have a ten
drncy to bulge out at the equator.
aud 10 contract itself at the poles.
'ru- losing ITS strictly spherical form,
an. becoming Orange shape. This in
i"r9 J. hs -hape which the earth has
a--um.d and hen q may be taken ~
sni ,,rtirs he the ~ that irs mate
IA IS gla,i!y ~ : liable cordI-
ton.
Bu wnIir the earth .s il this stat,
of Elasticity, and gradually assuming
It's .Ie>en, shape and confguratlon, "A
cooling Process wa> az The same time
going I'll, tending 10 sohdify the mass.
As Ne Know from analogy, the earth
would begin to cool frs, at its surface,
that j., The heat ofthe exterior parts
would b. lost by radiation or diffusion
into the surrounding medium. The
portion So cooled would gradually un-
dergoa hardening process, TIL in course
Of time a crust was formed round the
whole exterior OF the globe Two
questions, therefore, are suggested il
this relation Did this process of cool
ing continue till the whole mass If the
earth TO It's very centre was hardened
aud soiidified ? or, did it stop short AT
certain distance below the surface,
thus forming an lnclosed crust around
the uncooled molten mass OF the inte
nor, Ike the riud Of orange round
its juicy pulp?
Various theories have been from
time TO time advanced as 10 the int.
rlor condition Of the globe, many o.
them Of a purely fanciful character
The great astronomer Kepler, for in
Stance, IN seeking to account for the
ebb and flow OF the ocean tides, depic
ted the earth as living monster, ths
earth-animal. whose whale like mode
OF breathing occasioned the rise and
fall OF the ocean in recurring periods
sleeping and waking, dependent on
solar time. He even, in his flights Of
fIcy, attributed to this earth animal
the possession of a soul, having the
faculties OF memory and Imagination
Another great astronomer, HALEY
was opposed to the idea of the globe
being solid, regarding it as more
worthy o. the Creator that the earth
like house of several stories, should
be inhabited both without and with
In. For hight. too, in the hollow
here, he thought provision NIGH
II me measure br contrived. So re
cen ~, indeed, AS within the last hun
Il "nd hity years, equally singular
notions have been entertained regard
III tie earth = interior. Sir JohI
Les D" kr HALEY. conceived the nu
cl u OF the world to be hollow
'phrtr. but thought II filled. not witt
inhabitants. but with All assumed I'm
ponderabIe matter, having an enor,
NOUS force of expansion
Other scientists by degrees peopled
tins hollow sphere with plants aud an
lmalS, Two small subtrrranean plan.
els named Pluto and Proserpine, be-
InS supposed 10 shed over this centraI
world their dim and mysterious light
Others supposed that tue central al
VS. rendered self luminous hv com.
preston, and hence the two planets
were not required y certain Cap
tam SymMe>, VITO lived IN the pres.
en- century. Was strongly convinced
81 the truth OF Leslies theory. He
held tina; near the North Pole, whence
the polar light emsna,es, was an enor.
nous opening, through which descent
might tie made into the hollow sphere,
and sent frequent and pressing invi-
tStions To \. Won Humboldt and Sir
Humphrey Dayy to undertake this